AOC decries 'patriarchy' behind recent state abortion bans

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Thursday a recent slew of abortion bans in multiple states were the “patriarchy” attempting to own women by “controlling women’s sexuality.”

“Abortion bans aren’t just about controlling women’s bodies. They’re about controlling women’s sexuality. Owning women. From limiting birth control to banning comprehensive sex ed, US religious fundamentalists are working hard to outlaw sex that falls outside their theology,” the New York Democrat tweeted.

“Ultimately, this is about women’s power. When women are in control of their sexuality, it threatens a core element underpinning right-wing ideology: patriarchy. It’s a brutal form of oppression to seize control of the 1 essential thing a person should command: their own body,” she said.

The Missouri Senate passed an abortion bill Wednesday banning abortions 8-weeks into pregnancy. It is expected to pass the House and be signed by the state’s governor.

This follows measures in Georgia, which banned abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, and Alabama, who outlawed virtually all abortions in the state, including in cases of rape and incest.

In the case of Alabama, the abortion ban’s chief sponsor, state Rep. Terri Collins, and the governor who signed the bill into law, Kay Ivey, are Republican women.